Monday, July 21, 2008

HONEY & SEED BREAD - PAIN AUX GRAINES

As I'm addicted to yeast, madly drawn to baking and incurably in love with bread, for my last birthday (which happens to fall right on Christmas day), I received Beth Hensperger's "The Bread Bible" which is a wonderful cookbook dedicated to this irreplaceable staple. Her book was a real discovery, as, until now, not one of her recipes was a flop as I have got only good results so far. All on the contrary!

Until now, I have discovered no flaws or errors within the pages of this book. Beth Hensperger is passionate about bread and very professional. All her recipes give incredible results, are well-explained, innovative and delightful. Although her cookbook carries quite a misleading title that can/could confuse most of us, because this lengthy book is neither totally authoritative nor complete (that would be impossible), I believe that no baker, nor kitchen should be without that masterpiece! Whether you are new to baking or an experienced baker, this excellent cookbook will provide you with a collection of compelling bread recipes which will make your eyes roll back in your head while eating her scrumptious creations!And this "Honey And Seed Bread" is just the perfect example to illustrated what I was saying in the preceeding lines... That bread has a lot of crunch thanks to the seeds, it's soft interior as well as smooth exterior are delightful and it's slight sweetness is irresistible. It is a loaf that is terrifically scrumptious and awesomely satisfying on all levels!

~ Honey And Seed Bread ~Recipe by Beth Hensperger, taken from her book "The Bread Bible" and slightly adapted by Rosa @ Rosa's Yummy Yums.

Method:1. Pour the warm water in a small bowl. Sprinkle the yeast and sugar over the surface of the water.2. Stir to disolve and let stand at room temperature until foamy, about 10 mintues.3. In a large bowl, combine the milk, butter, honey and yeast mixture.4. Add 2 cups flour, salt, sunflower seeds, poppy seeds and sesame seeds. Beat hard until smooth, about 3 minutes.5. Add the remaining flour, 1/2 cup at a time, until a shaggy dough is formed.6. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured work surface and knead until smooth and silky, 4 to 5 minutes.7. Place the dough in a greased deep bowl. Turn once to grease the top and cover with a plastic wrap and then a tea towel.8. Let the dough rise at room temperature until doubled in bulk, 1 to 1 1/2 hours.9. Gently deflate the dough and turn it out onto a lightly floured work surface.10. Grease two 9-by-5-inch (23 x 13cm) loaf pans.11. Divide the dough into 2 equal portions. Form each portion into a loaf and place it seam side down into the loaf pan.12. Cover with a tea towel and let rise 1 inch above the rims of the pans, about 45 minutes.13. Twenty minutes before baking, preheat the oven to 190° C (375° F).14. Brush with egg glaze, for a dark and glossy crust.15. Put the loaf pans on the center rack of the oven and bake 40 to 45 minutes, or until golden brown, and the loaves sound hollow when tapped with your finger.16. Transfer the loaves immediately to a cooling rack.Remarks:While kneading the bread, don't forget to dust your working surface with flour (only 1 Tbs at a time) if the dough tends to by sticky.Once you have brushed the loaves with the egg glaze, you can sprinkle them with the seeds of your choice (poppy seeds, sesame seeds, sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds, etc...).

Serving suggestions:This bread is delicious with almost anything.It is ideal for making Cheese On Toast, Crostini, Bruschetta or Croutons.

I don't have a book dedicated to bread, and it looks like you've talked me into this one. I love nuts in bread, and the combo here sounds yummy. Your loaves are absolutely gorgeous! I'd have to eat all of it if they were sitting in my kitchen. Mmmmmm....

This is an old post... but thought I would try for some clarification. I just put this bread in the oven and I wanted to ask you to double check the recipe? This dough was so dry and tough - and it took twice as long as described to rise. Is it supposed to have more than 3/4 cups water and 1/2 cup milk? It says "1/2 cups" of milk - should it have said "1 1/2 cups" of milk? It looks SO yummy - but I think the loaves are going to be a bit dense and dry...

Dear Jennifer,Thank you for the comment and for visiting my blog.Oh, sorry, my fault! A typo... :-/ You are right, this bread is supposed to contain 1 1/2 cups of milk. No wonder the bread was dense and dry!!! :-(Cheers,Rosa